1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to an acoustic therapy apparatus of the type having a source of therapeutic acoustic waves and an ultrasound locating means with an ultrasound transducer, the source and the ultrasound transducer are combined to form an oblong applicator with a longitudinal axis adapted for introduction into the body interior of a patient with the source and the ultrasound transducer being successively arranged in the direction of the longitudinal axis, so that ultrasound images with respect to a circular sector-shaped plane of section that contains the longitudinal axis of the applicator and whose center axis is the angle bisector of the plane of section can be generated with the ultrasound locating means.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to be able to obtain a good image of a region that is to be treated with therapeutic acoustic waves using an ultrasound locating means in a conventional therapy apparatus of the type initially described, the source of therapeutic acoustic waves is subdivided into two sections of equal length between which the sector scanner is located. The sector scanner in usually contains a small linear array that is operated in as a phased array. A sector scanner containing a linear array is employed, because the slight installation space required for such a sector scanner makes it possible to arrange the two sections of the source of therapeutic acoustic waves in close proximity, which is beneficial for acoustic reasons. Moreover, the slight installation space required for such a sector scanner has a beneficial effect on the dimensions of the applicator, so that a use of the applicator is also possible under constricted space conditions, for example endoluminal application (use in body cavities).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,071 discloses a therapy apparatus of the type initially described wherein the source of therapeutic acoustic waves and the ultrasound transducer are arranged following one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis, with which ultrasound images with respect to a planar of section (slice) that contains the longitudinal axis of the applicator can be generated with the ultrasound locating means, with the center axis of the plane of section describes an angle of less than 90.degree. with the longitudinal axis of the planar section so that the center axis is inclined toward the source. In this way, it is possible to always image the entire region to be treated with the therapeutic acoustic waves in the ultrasound image generated with the ultrasound locating means without requiring a subdivision of the source of therapeutic acoustic waves into two sections. However, extremely little installation space is available for the ultrasound transducer.